Our sun could produce a “super” solar flare thousands of times larger than any previously observed according to a study released Thursday by scientists at the University of Warwick.
“If the Sun were to produce a superflare it would be disastrous for life on Earth; our GPS and radio communication systems could be severely disrupted and there could be large scale power blackouts as a result of strong electrical currents being induced in power grids,” said lead researcher Chloë Pugh of the University of Warwick’s Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics.
Pugh further specified that “the conditions needed for a superflare are extremely unlikely to occur on the Sun, based on previous observations of solar activity.”
The researchers analyzed patterns of light in a superflare of the star KIC9655129, using data collected by NASA’s Kepler space telescope. The researchers suggest due to the similarities between the superflare observed KIC9655129 and previous solar flares by the Sun, the underlying physics of the flares might be the same.
The sun last produced a coronal mass ejection that struck Earth during the summer of 1859 which created the largest geomagnetic storm on record. The storm was so powerful that it caused telegraph machines around the world to spark, shocking operators and setting papers ablaze. The event released the same amount of energy as 10 billion atomic bombs.
Researchers estimate that a similar event today would cause $600 billion to $2.6 trillion in damages to the United States alone. National Geographic found that a similar event today would destroy much of the internet, take down all satellite communications, and almost certainly knock out most of the global electrical grid. The Earth would only get about 20 hours of warning.
A similar solar event occurred in 2012, but missed Earth.
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